Objective 4: Sustainable Energy and Mobility - Priority: Increasing sustainable mobility in urban areas. Action 4.6.2 "Interventions for urban sustainable mobility, also encouraging the use of low-impact transport systems" which foresees the purchase of buses with high environmental efficiency, either electric or powered by natural gas, to be used only in the urban and metropolitan area of Rome and within the framework of integrated urban sustainable mobility actions. The policy instrument is not sufficiently detailed as regards alternative fuels for mobility, therefore the project could help completing it by integrating measures able to stimulate the hydrogen electric mobility in the region.

"CO2 emissions must be reduced. For an area that is as populous and economically active as the Western part of The Netherlands (the so called 'Randstad'), this task is all the more urgent. Projects, focusing on reducing CO2, using alternative energy, and saving energy deliver a great deal of effort to get their funding around. Changes for West II opportunities are focused on funding projects that are in line with the National Energy Agreement or the European Rural Development Program (POP) and will reduce the share of fossil fuels in total energy consumption in the area of opportunities for West II Reduce energy consumption in urban areas.

A fifth of the available budget (€ 36 million) is for this purpose. Especially the deployment of Zero Emission Vehicles in urban areas apply to these goals."

"The Municipality of Delphi, with its regional status, will address the thematic priority ERDF T04-Low carbon economy, by assessing and evaluating the use of hydrogen in the region that will be produced and used through a circular sustainable economy. T04 states that Greece has energy capacity potential for energy production from renewable energies including biomass. Energy production from renewable energies is stated as a priority objective. Furthermore, high energy usage of the transport sector is also addressed as well as the need for a shift towards more holistic sustainable mobility plans using environmentally friendly means of transport. The policy instrument addressed seems to lack connection between energy production and sustainable mobility. Both objectives are mentioned independently while there is no holistic point of view to address a circular economy starting from energy production from renewable resources to energy used in transport. The Municipality of Delphi through SMART-HY-AWARE, will investigate best practices regarding hydrogen mobility and how these can be applied into the region. The aim is to investigate ways of producing the required energy for the hydrogen production

from renewable energy sources of the region, such as local agricultural waste (biomass) or solar energy. Furthermore, an action plan will assess the suitability of the fuel cell vehicles for operational usage for the Municipality as well as tourist application for Natura areas."

SMART-HY-AWARE falls under Malta's Operational Programme, Priority Axis 7 “Shifting towards a more low carbon transport sector” of the Cohesion Fund 2014-2020 Operational Programme I of Malta (OPI), and in particular on Investment Priority 7c "Developing and improving environmentally friendly (including low noise) and low carbon transport systems, including inland waterways and maritime transport, ports, multimodal links and airport infrastructure, in order to promote sustainable regional and local mobility". It is to be noted that Transport Malta on behalf of the Government of Malta had published the Malta National Transport Strategy 2050 and the National Transport Plan as required so that Malta can justify the use of ERDF and Cohesion Funds. Transport Malta also is participating in another project under INTERREG, entitled PROMETEUS to upate its Malta National Electromobility Action Plan. The policy instrument addressed It is important to further focus OPI (7c) on innovative technologies and promotion of sustainable means of transport in order to reduce greenhouse gas emission, pollution and noise.

The Strategy aims to maintain and build on Aberdeen's position as a leading European Region in the early deployment of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as to becoming a leading hub for hydrogen technologies in Scotland. The Strategy examines how to secure investment for further vehicle deployments followed by new infrastructure investment from 2018 onwards when capacity will be maximised. The Strategy looks at Vehicle Deployment; Production of Renewable Hydrogen; Non-Transport Applications; Supply Chain and Market Development; Communication and Education; Policy and Regulation. The Strategy has been well received and has achieved many of its short-term goals but there are reasons for its review. Firstly, the Strategy was written in 2014 and with technological advances a review would improve the Strategy. In addition, the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Joint Undertaking (FCH-JU) has set up a Regional Initiative to develop business cases for fuel cell products.

TSDOP (equivalent to INTERREG EUROPE Priority Axis 3, to the Specific Objective 3.1) is an ERDF supported program aiming to improve the implementation of regional development policies and programmes, in particular programmes for Investment for Growth and Jobs. It aims to support regional, decentralized economic development and an increase in employment based on local resources. It allocates more than EUR 1 billion to integrated sustainable urban development actions in the framework of a dedicated priority. The Programme is focusing on: (1) Creating local conditions to boost economic growth and increase employment (2) Enterprise friendly and population preserving urban development by the means of increasing resource-efficiency, green growth and eco-innovation and environmental performance management among the population, local stakeholders and economic entities, promoting circular economy.